Why Does Fishing Continue To Decline In Our Rivers?

[Greasy B]

Its a hard to tell looking at my phone but I count 17-18 SM and at least 1 google eye.

[ozark trout fisher]

OTF, Yeah I dunno about that as people give their fish to others all the time. I guess that would fall under the "possession limit" regs.

It's kinda hard to tell (for me) what is bass and what is goggle-eye in that pic.

I don't think "possession limits" refer to what you have on your stringer alongside a river. It's basically saying that you can't have more than (usually about twice the daily limit) in your freezer or in your cooler at camp.

Pooling limits and stringers remains illegal to the best of my understanding. To be within the law you would each need to have a seperate stringer with no more than the daily limit of any species on it. That's my interpretation of the law, anyway.

Unless there were two seperate stringers (or maybe even more than that), and they were all combined into one after they all left the river (a most unlikely scenario, I'd think, though technically possible) it's hard to come to any conclusion that doesn't lead to this guy breaking some laws.

[ness]

I don't think we know nearly enough about this to judge. That said -- keep on judging boys. It's what we do!

[ozark trout fisher]

I don't think we know nearly enough about this to judge. That said -- keep on judging boys. It's what we do!

Well, we certainly know it's in very poor taste to post a picture online that sure as hell looks like a blatant violation.

And it's a pretty small leap in logic that some form of poaching occurred here, even if it's as small as combining a few guys limits onto one stringer.

[XP 590]

Well, we certainly know it's in very poor taste to post a picture online that sure as hell looks like a blatant violation.

And it's a pretty small leap in logic that some form of poaching occurred here, even if it's as small as combining a few guys limits onto one stringer.

Agree, if it looks like a poacher, walks like a poacher etc...........

[ollie]

One guy or several guys it really doesn't matter. It puts a huge dent in the smallie population when you are taking them. A couple of years ago I came across six guys wading a small stretch of a small stream and they all had their limit. 36 smallies within a mile had been kept on this small stream. It was all legal and nothing I could do about it other than cringe. That kind of pressure is another part of why or streams aren't as good as they use to be. I don't want to judge this guy without knowing all the facts just yet.

[awhuber]

One guy or several guys it really doesn't matter. It puts a huge dent in the smallie population when you are taking them. A couple of years ago I came across six guys wading a small stretch of a small stream and they all had their limit. 36 smallies within a mile had been kept on this small stream. It was all legal and nothing I could do about it other than cringe. That kind of pressure is another part of why or streams aren't as good as they use to be. I don't want to judge this guy without knowing all the facts just yet.

SHHHH don't tell anyone, but the logo for this site is smallies on a stringer.....

[moguy1973]

I don't think "possession limits" refer to what you have on your stringer alongside a river. It's basically saying that you can't have more than (usually about twice the daily limit) in your freezer or in your cooler at camp.

Pooling limits and stringers remains illegal to the best of my understanding. To be within the law you would each need to have a seperate stringer with no more than the daily limit of any species on it. That's my interpretation of the law, anyway.

Unless there were two seperate stringers (or maybe even more than that), and they were all combined into one after they all left the river (a most unlikely scenario, I'd think, though technically possible) it's hard to come to any conclusion that doesn't lead to this guy breaking some laws.

From the MDC website and the fishing regulations book:

The possession limit is twice the statewide daily limit. Fish you take and possess must be kept separate or distinctly identifiable from fish taken by another person. If you are away from your catch, the device holding the fish must be plainly labeled with your full name and address.

[ness]

Well, we certainly know it's in very poor taste to post a picture online that sure as hell looks like a blatant violation.

And it's a pretty small leap in logic that some form of poaching occurred here, even if it's as small as combining a few guys limits onto one stringer.

Leap -- good word for it.

How do you know he and his buddies didn't stage this picture, maybe with everybody's catch for the whole weekend, just as a joke to put on Facebook?

Just saying it's not a for-sure thing. I share your disdain for poachers, but we ought to know the facts before declaring someone guilty.

[ness]

SHHHH don't tell anyone, but the logo for this site is smallies on a stringer.....

You got an LOL out of that one! And, I think it's over the limit, er..., possession limit, er..., just bad form, er...illegal stringer consolidation, er.... something.